As a person who subscribes to Autodidacticism; here are my suggestions; * Know the difference between "Knowledge for Knowledge's Sake"(KKS) and "Knowledge Need

As a person who subscribes to Autodidacticism; here are my suggestions; * Know the difference between "Knowledge for Knowledge's Sake"(KKS) and "Knowledge Needed for a Job"(KNJ). While there may be some overlap, they are separate pursuits and need to be tackled differently. * For KNJ, use any and every means to short-circuit the learning ramp and get started on the job. This includes; - Identify the "Guru" in the company and ask for a one-on-one brain dump on the project/product you would be working on. I do this in the first couple of weeks over lunch and late afternoon meetups. Keep your ego aside and revert back to "student mode" that you had when studying in college. Take notes, book/article references and anything which will shorten your learning ramp. - Based on the above, focus on the domain knowledge and technologies required for your job. This will be an intense 2-3 weeks and just like you are preparing for an exam. - Get started with some simple bug fixing/minor features implementation etc. When you get stuck and/or lost do not hesitate to ask for help from team members. Within a couple of months you should have enough knowledge and confidence to take on bigger responsibilities. * KKS is far more amorphous. Actively cultivate the mentality of being a Dilettante i.e. dip your toes in anything/everything that catches your fancy. Wander aimlessly through the various Technology (and Other) domains trying to grasp the "essence" of the subject. Do not look for outside validation and do not compete with others. The aim is to educate yourself and understand the subject to whatever level is acceptable to you. You will have to read a lot, do a little of what you like and follow your curiosity/interest/instincts. There is no goal and no end to this; it is a lifelong endeavour to gain knowledge. Once you get hooked onto something you will find that you soon transition to becoming an Expert without your actually trying to be one. All the Geniuses/Scientists/Greats we have read about have followed this process to become what they are.